THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING APPRATUS AND METHOD FOR CALIBRATING PRINTING INACCURACY THEREOF

• US 20160354980A1
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Limited (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), Kinpo Electronics Incorporated (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), XYZprinting, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Limited (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), Kinpo Electronics Incorporated (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), XYZprinting, Inc.
• Inventors: Yang, Yu-Jie, Ho, Kwan
• Granted Patent: US 10,539,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35134 3-D cad-cam
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49007 Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface

Abstract

A three-dimensional printing apparatus and a method for calibrating printing inaccuracy thereof are provided. A printing head of the three-dimensional printing apparatus is adapted for moving along a straight printing path on a datum plane and simultaneously feeding out forming material, so as to generate a layer object on a supporting surface of a platform. If a path distance of the straight printing path is greater than a threshold, a plurality of linear compensation relationships respectively corresponding to a plurality of first zones of the supporting surface are used for calculating a first compensation value of a starting point and a second compensation value of an ending point. If the path distance of the straight printing path is not greater than the threshold, a common compensation values is decided based on at least one of second zones and which is corresponding to the starting point and the ending point.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating printing inaccuracy, adapted for calibrating at least a straight printing path which a printing head move along on a datum plane, wherein the printing head moves along the straight printing path and simultaneously feeds out a forming material so as to generate a layer object on a supporting surface, and the straight printing paths respectively comprise a starting point and an ending point, the method comprising:

obtaining three-dimensional printing information of the layer object, and determining whether a path distance between the starting point and the ending point is greater than a threshold value;

calculating a first compensation value of the starting point and a second compensation value of the ending point by using a plurality of linear compensation relationships respectively corresponding to a plurality of first zones of the supporting surface if the path distance is greater than the threshold value, calibrating a printing height corresponding to the starting point based on the first compensation value relative to a datum plane, calibrating a printing height corresponding to a ending point based on the second compensation value relative to the datum plane; and

determining a common compensation value based on at least one of a plurality of second zones is corresponding to the starting point and the ending point, and calibrating the printing height corresponding to the starting point and the printing height corresponding to the ending point based on the common compensation value relative to the datum plane if the path distance is not greater than the threshold value.

2. The method for calibrating printing inaccuracy of claim 1, wherein the supporting surface comprises a plurality of calibration position points dividing the supporting surface into the first zones, wherein a shape of the first zones is rectangular and the calibrating position points are respectively located at top points of the first zones.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

repeatedly controlling the printing head to move respectively toward the calibration position points along a normal line direction of the datum plane at a predetermined height until the printing head is in contact with the calibration position points to respectively obtain compensation reference values respectively corresponding to the calibration position points relative to the datum plane, wherein the compensation reference values of the calibration position points at the top points of the first zones determine the respective linear compensation relationships of the first zones.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of calculating the first compensation value of the starting point and the second compensation value of the ending point by using the linear compensation relationships respectively corresponding to the first zones of the supporting surface first compensation value second compensation value comprises:

determining the starting point is located in one of the first zones based on a coordinate of the starting point, and determining the ending point is located in another one of the first zone based on a coordinate of the ending point and; and

calculating the first compensation value of the starting point according to a linear compensation relationship of the one of the first zones, and calculating the second compensation value of the ending point according to a linear compensation relationship of the another one of the first zones.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

dividing the first zones to obtain the second zones;

deciding a plurality of reference points respectively associated to the second zones;

calculating a plurality of reference compensation values respectively corresponding to the reference points based on the coordinates of the reference points on the datum plane and the corresponding linear compensation relationships; and

recording the reference compensation values respectively corresponding to the second zones.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining the common compensation value based on the at least one of the second zones corresponding to the starting point and the ending point comprises:

determining the position of the starting point is located in one of the second zones, determining the position of the ending point is located in another one of the second zones;

determine whether a position of the one of the second zones where the starting point locates in is the same or not as a position of the another one of the second zone where the ending point locates in; and

setting the reference compensation value corresponding to the one of the second zone as the common compensation value if the position of the one of the second zones where the starting point locates in is the same as the position of the another one of the second zone where the ending point locates in.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

calculating an average values of the reference compensation value corresponding to the one of the second zones and the reference compensation value corresponding to the another one of the second zones if the position of the one of the second zones where the starting point locates in is not the same as the position of the another one of the second zone where the ending point locates in.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

obtaining a first printing coordinate of the starting point and a second printing coordinate of the ending point based on the calibrated printing height of the starting point and the calibrated printing height of the ending point; and

controlling the printing head to move along a calibrated path and feeding out forming material at the same time to print out the layer object associated to the three-dimensional printing information based on the first printing coordinate and the second printing coordinate.

9. A three-dimensional printing apparatus, comprising:

a platform comprising a supporting surface and a plurality of calibration position points wherein the calibration position points are located on the supporting surface, and the calibration position points divide the supporting surface into a plurality of first zones;

a printing head disposed above the platform, wherein the printing head is disposed to move along a datum plane and along a direction of a normal line of the datum plane;

a touch sensor, disposed on a nozzle of the printing head; and

a controller coupled to the printing head to control the printing head along the direction of the normal line respectively move toward the calibration position points on the supporting surface from a predetermined height until the touch sensor is in contact with the calibration position points to respectively obtain the compensation reference values of the calibration position points relative to the datum plane, wherein the compensation reference values decides linear compensation relationships respectively corresponding to the first zones,

wherein the first zones are divided to generate a plurality of second zones, the controller based on the linear compensation relationships calculates a plurality of reference compensation values respectively corresponding to the second zones, and the controller records the reference compensation values,

wherein the controller by using the linear compensation relationships and the reference compensation values calibrates a printing height of a starting point and a printing height of an ending point to obtain a first printing coordinate of the starting point and a second printing coordinate of the ending point, the controller based on the first printing coordinate and the second printing coordinate controls the printing head to move and simultaneously feed out forming material.

10. The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller obtains three-dimensional printing information of a layer object and determines whether a path distance between the starting point and the ending point is greater than a threshold value, if the path distance is greater than the threshold value, the controller calculates the first compensation value of the starting point and the second compensation value of the ending point using the linear compensation relationships respectively corresponding to the first zones of the supporting surface, and based on the first compensation value relative to the datum plane, calibrate the printing height of the starting point, and based on the second compensation value relative to the datum plane calibrate, calibrate the printing height of the ending point.

11. The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 10, if the path distance is not greater than the threshold value, the controller decides a common compensation value based on at least one of the plurality of second zones corresponding to the starting point and the ending point, and calibrate the printing height of the starting point and the printing height of the ending point based on the common compensation value relative to the datum plane.

12. The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the touch sensor sends a plurality of touch signals respectively corresponding to the calibration position points to the controller in response to contact with the calibration position points, and the controller positions the printing head based on the touch signals respectively so as to respectively obtain the compensation reference values of the calibration position points relative to the datum plane.

13. The three-dimensional printing apparatus of claim 9, wherein a shape of the first zones is rectangular shaped, and the calibration position points are respectively located at top points of the first zones, and wherein the controller decides the linear compensation relationships respectively corresponding to the first zones based on the compensation reference values of the calibration position points located at the top points of the first zones.